Australian Open 2011: Li Na lacks sleep, but not wit

For those staying up late for the Australian Open, there’s been plenty of reward. Ninth-seeded Li Na came back from an awful start to upset No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinal and become the first-ever Chinese finalist in a Grand Slam tournament.
Li had the crowd in her pocket during the post-match interview, getting a huge laugh when she talked about her husband’s snoring.

“I didn’t sleep well,” Li said in her post-match interview in Rod Laver Arena. “My husband was making noise. I woke up every hour. I told him: ‘I can’t sleep’.
“He said: ‘Relax’. I said: ‘How can I relax when I can’t sleep?’”

What got her through the match? “Prize money.”

Her opponent in the final, No. 3 Kim Clijsters of Belgium, has also mentioned losing sleep during the tourney, due to having her 2-year-old girl with her. The two-time defending U.S. Open champion is the first mother to win a Grand Slam event since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. Insomniac viewers can join them for what should be a competitive and entertaining final at 3:30 a.m. Eastern/12:30 Pacific on Saturday on ESPN2.